Contents

Acquisition

Most materials are unbound when acquired. There are only a few materials that bind on acquisition. Obtaining desired materials can sometimes be a difficult task. Specific acquisition details are available on individual pages.

Guide: General Material Acquisition

Players tend to accumulate a large number of materials simply by exploring the clockworks. This is because defeating monsters in an appropriate area is generally the most efficient way to find most materials. Higher ranked materials have a better chance of dropping in deeper levels of the Clockworks.

Unless it is rated ☆☆☆☆☆ or a certain ★☆☆☆☆, a given "general" material is associated with one monster family or a single status theme. A monster in a given depth will have a drop table of possible materials associated with its family and status. Combat areas that are themed with a status will have more monsters of that status type. Sort the general material list below by stratum theme and consider the following stratum range information to decide where to look for the best chances of finding desired items:

Note: the most shallow depth is often not accessible via arcade due to clockwork terminals and subtowns. Certain missions allow access to combat in depths 4 or 13. Depth 8 is exclusive to Moorcroft Manor. Depth 18 exclusive to Emberlight unless the Event Mission: Shroud of the Apocrea, available only during the event, is hosted by a player ranked Knight Elite. This all seems moot, considering the best place to farm for a specific material is generally in the deepest depth of the stratum it begins to drop, unless it is 5*, then as deep as possible on elite difficulty in areas that have many monsters are best. This is usually depth 28. Players will generally collect many materials on the way to this ideal depth.

Certain areas, such as Danger Rooms, have a deeper "effective" depth than the depth in which the floor is located, featuring tougher monsters. ??? - Pending data regarding the effect this has on monster drops. Monsters in these areas seem to drop less loot in general than monsters encountered elsewhere. This could be because the focus of such areas is on Treasure Boxes rewarding victory over these tougher enemies.

Usage

Crafting gear. Most equipment items have a recipe involving specific materials. These materials are often related to the stats and abilities of the item.

Crafting Boss Trophy furniture for a Guild Hall requires a large amount of specific materials as well as crowns, and is generally considered an endgame teamwork activity for an established Guild.

Battle Sprites are notorious for consuming large numbers of materials. Sprites will consume raw materials as well as sprite food to heat, requiring food to actually level up. Crafting sprite food is a viable option for utilizing materials, but only if the player also has a large number of minerals and materials on reserve for any plans crafting gear.

: Some materials are much more valuable than others of the same star level due to their rarity or use in transmuting popular items. It is generally not a good idea to sell materials to NPCs for "quick cash," as a large number of materials are desired by players for the reasons above. As such, many materials are worth much more than what an NPC would pay. Check the Auction House first.

All vendors will pay the same prices, depending on the star level of the material:

☆☆☆☆☆: 1 crown

★☆☆☆☆: 1 crown

★★☆☆☆: 5 crowns

★★★☆☆: 10 crowns

★★★★☆: 25 crowns

★★★★★: 50 crowns

Notes

The icons of materials clearly include the outline of a puzzle piece in addition to a generalized visual of the item. Like many entities on Cradle, materials are part of a greater whole and are much like puzzle pieces. Figuring out where they come from and where they're supposed to go is a large part of the game. Their descriptions often contain humor and frequently connect to the game's lore.

History

Many materials have been available since release 2011-04-04 when the game officially launched.

release 2013-12-11: Added an icon to the ingredients panel to show when a material can be found in the clockworks.

Some materials have become obsolete over time - they are no longer obtainable and have no current usage. A famous example of such a material is the Zee Core, though it was not completely removed from the game, remaining unbound in player inventories. A list of obsolete entities can be viewed here.

List

When in default, the below lists are ordered by Date of Release, by star and then alphabetically if tied. Each list features a generalized "theme" column to sort similar materials together. This column is usually roughly associated with the material's acquisition.

Event

A tattered fetish from the now-extinct Kat Tribe, the ferocious feline warriors responsible for the destruction of the Owlites and their prestigious High Academy of Magicks. The fetishes were carried into battle by Kat warriors and are said to bring good luck despite the ill fate of the Kat Tribe itself.

An ancient grimoire filled with unspeakable eldritch rites. Just like any cursed tome, there is likely some twisted individual out there who wants it for extremely nefarious purposes. Trade with caution.

A strange, vile reagent thought to be harnessed by the Apocrea to build their structures. Once it gets on your skin it seems to never wash off. No, it must, you simply need to scrub harder. Harder, yes...

A rare metal recovered from a shattered mountain deep within the realm of the Apocrea. Under a microscope it reveals to have a kind of impossible geometry. Perhaps more dedicated study, free from the distractions of the world would reveal its secrets.

A fragment of resilient Tortodrone shell. It is rumored that by sleeping on a Tortodrone shell, one can feel the subtle vibrations that call these mighty beings towards the Long Migration's mysterious final destination.

A viscous compound developed by Biotechs to allow for the study of slime creatures. When mixed with slime and jelly matter, it allows for reshaping without losing its form. Though reserved for scientific purposes, the process is generally regarded as 'super fun'.